JAMB fix 2017 cut off mark for Universities at 120

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) on Tuesday pegged the minimum cut-off mark for admissions into universities for the 2017/2018 academic year at 120.

According to Punch, the decision was made after JAMB registrar Ishaq Oloyede had a combined policy meeting on admissions with vice-chancellors, rectors, and provosts of higher institutions in Abuja on Tuesday.

It was also decided at the meeting that the cut-off mark for admission into polytechnics and colleges of education should be placed at 100, while the cut-off for innovative enterprising institutes was pegged at 110

Oloyede said universities can decide whatever their cut-off should be, but should not go below the minimum of 120. He said:

What JAMB has done is to recommend; we will only determine the minimum, whatever you determine as your admission cut-off mark is your decision.

The Senate and academic boards of universities should be allowed to determine their cut-off marks.

Decisions on first-choice candidates are to be made on or before October 15, while for second choice candidates, December 15.

Admission into public higher institutions for the 2017 UTME examination is to end January 15, 2018, while the date for private institutions is given as January 31, 2018.

Oloyede also said JAMB discovered over 17,160 students who were illegally admitted by higher institutions.

He added that some of these students have been regularized by the board. He said:

30 per cent of those in higher institutions do not take JAMB or have less than the cut-off marks.

The admission process is now automated with direct involvement of the registrar of JAMB for final approval.

We have agreed to regularise admissions that were done under the table this year. From next year, we will not accept anything like that.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Education Adamu Adamu has formally lifted the ban placed on universities from conducting post-UTME examination.

He said the ban by the Federal Government was a mistake.

He said although the ban was a result of tertiary institutions abusing the post-UTME process, he encouraged them to conduct the test for candidates seeking admission, fixing the fee for N2000.